Sakura Haruno deliberately exposed herself, standing under the Rain Tiger at Will Technique.
Her Observation Haki had already detected a massive chakra source rushing toward her, drawn to the spot where she'd just unleashed her Conqueror's Haki.
But Sakura didn't regret it. Pirates act on instinct, and she'd simply made her choice—nothing more.
"Phew!"
Since her position was revealed, she stopped hiding. Her heat-manipulating ability roared to life.
A halo of icy aura spread like a tidal wave, transforming the heart of the Hidden Rain Village into a frozen tundra.
The rogue ninjas slashing through the area were instantly robbed of life by the chilling wave. Sakura deliberately used ice crystals to destroy their cellular structure, ensuring they couldn't be revived even if thawed.
At the same time, with Tsunade's medical ninjutsu and her Observation Haki, she froze the critically injured in the flames, buying them precious time to survive.
Sakura's gaze stretched into the distance. The moment she'd unleashed her Conqueror's Haki, her Observation Haki had also picked up on several familiar presences.
She reached into her ninja pouch, pulling out a custom cherry blossom kunai and hurling it toward a distant tower.
Whoosh!
A pink glow flashed, and in the next instant, Sakura's hand grasped the kunai she'd just thrown.
She landed on the outer wall of the tower's ruins, blocking a group of figures clad in fan-patterned robes.
"Uchiha, have you fallen so low as to ally with rogue ninjas who slaughter civilians?"
Sakura sighed with a hint of regret, rising to her feet as she pointed a massive ice sword at the group.
She'd once thought sparing the Uchiha from bloodshed would lead to a better outcome, but now they were siding with rogue ninjas.
These rogues, notorious for their chaotic nature, were a collection of cunning minds and venomous hearts—a true gathering of ruthless talent.
"You again, little girl. Mocking the Uchiha? You'd better be ready—"
"Enough! Fighting her here will only complicate things!"
Uchiha Inabi's three-tomoe Sharingan flared, but before he could finish his threat, Itachi, standing at the front, cut him off.
Inabi glanced at Sakura, scoffed, and stepped back behind Itachi.
"We're not with those rogue ninjas, but our target is the same: the Hidden Rain Village!"
Itachi rested his hand on the sash of his kimono, his long hair tied into a waist-length ponytail as he stepped forward.
Hearing his words, the shadow on Sakura's face lightened a bit.
"Technically, we're rogue ninjas now too, so… don't interfere with our mission, or you'll be our enemy!"
Crimson chakra flared around Itachi, and the shadow of Susanoo roared defiantly at her.
The Uchiha who'd defected from Konoha had formed a new pack, with Itachi undeniably their alpha.
As their leader, he had to constantly display his strength to secure his position and lead them to their goals.
"Troublesome…"
For the first time, Sakura felt a kinship with Shikamaru's exasperation.
Lowering her giant sword, she didn't stop the Uchiha as they passed her, charging toward the Hidden Rain's central keep.
Their bold, unmasked approach—openly planning to assassinate another nation's leader—was unmistakably Uchiha.
"Uchiha and their stubborn pride!"
Muttering to herself, Sakura looked down to see Jiraiya being chased by a group of ninjas.
"Sakura! Help… help… HELP!"
Hearing the frantic shouts of her unreliable mentor growing closer, Sakura slapped a hand to her forehead, wishing she could escape this mess of a reality.
But…
If I don't go to the mountain, the mountain comes to me.
The massive chakra source she'd sensed earlier finally descended before her after a long flight.
A thunderous crash drowned out the light of the heavens!
Amid the howling winds, a man in a black robe with red clouds hovered before Sakura.
His corpse-like, icy gaze locked onto her—or rather, onto the lingering aura she hadn't yet suppressed.
"Are you the one who just attacked the village?"
The orange-haired man spoke, the iron rods on his body clinking with a metallic ring, adding a chilling edge to his voice.
"You're… Yahiko!!!"
Jiraiya scrambled up the tower to stand beside Sakura, his eyes wide as he stared at the man.
"What's going on? I heard you, Konan, and Nagato all died!"
"And… your eyes! Those are Nagato's eyes, aren't they?"
Facing Jiraiya's questions, the orange-haired man mechanically turned his head, shifting his gaze to him.
"Teacher Jiraiya, I did die, but I was reborn as the Kami of the Hidden Rain Village!"
"Now, call me by my new name—Pain!"
From beneath his black-and-red-clouded robe, a hand studded with nails rose, aiming at Sakura and Jiraiya.
"And this is the second time Konoha has destroyed my home. Would you kindly die here, Teacher?"
With a booming roar, two nails in Pain's hand erupted forward, slicing through the air with a high-pitched wail, carrying waves of force toward the pair.
"Wait, it wasn't us!"
Jiraiya flailed his arms, trying to explain.
But Sakura grinned, swinging her massive ice sword to clash with the nails.
"Bring it on!"
BOOM!
The moment the nails met the sword, chakra surged from Pain into the nails, triggering a secondary burst of repulsive force at the point of contact, shattering Sakura's ice sword.
"Trouble, huh, Teacher Jiraiya?"
Gripping the broken half of her blade, Sakura's expression grew serious.
"That kind of power… he's out for blood, isn't he?"
"Sakura, buy me some time!"
Seeing the strength of Pain's technique, Jiraiya abandoned any hope of talking things out.
Knowing the Rinnegan was a tough opponent, he slammed his hand to the ground, summoning Gamaken, one of the Toad Trio.
"Jiraiya, can a useless guy like me really help you out?"
"Of course! Gamaken, please help Sakura hold him off!"
Jiraiya shouted, then pulled out face paint from his pouch, smearing it on as he clasped his hands together.
Massive chakra flowed, forming a transparent barrier that shifted like mercury, shaping into a sphere.
Natural energy within the barrier compressed under Jiraiya's seals, merging with his chakra to create Sage Mode chakra.
"Hm?"
Heavenly Pain sensed an unusual energy gathering around Jiraiya and redirected his black nails toward him.
Sakura and Gamaken were ready. She threw a Flying Thunder God kunai, while Gamaken swung his iron staff down at Pain.
In a deafening crash, smoke and debris shot into the sky.
Pain's form burst through the smokescreen, floating above.
Nearby, amid the dust and rubble, a kunai marked with a cherry blossom glinted coldly.
—Whoosh!
From the ripples of spacetime, a blazing wave of heat concealed within a radiant blade sang out!
Clang!
The sharp blade spun, weaving a dazzling rainbow ribbon in the wind—lethal yet breathtakingly beautiful!
Pain clasped his hands together, burning chakra surging from the iron rods into his body. "Shinra Tensei!"
A repulsive force erupted, pushing back the floating debris and dust inch by inch, clashing with the blade in a grating screech.
"Got him!"
Gamaken leaped high, swinging his iron staff down during the brief window after Pain's Shinra Tensei.
But on the ground below, another orange-haired man rapidly formed seals, slamming his hands to the earth.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
A cloud of smoke exploded.
Heavenly Pain, who should've been under Gamaken's attack, was summoned to his side, along with four other ninjas studded with iron rods.
Gamaken's staff swung through empty air, and he tumbled through the sky before crashing into the water below.
"Tch, this guy's on another level. I can't handle him as I am now~"
Sakura's gaze grew heavier, but a wild, reckless grin spread across her delicate face.
"Hey, Teacher Jiraiya, we might not be able to take these guys!"
"Idiot, giving up before we've even fought? How little faith do you have in your teacher?!"
Still clasping his hands, Jiraiya used chakra to stick to the side of a building, shouting at Sakura.
From her brief skirmish, he'd been quietly gathering intel on their opponent, and the sight of multiple Rinnegan pairs shocked him.
"Hahaha, then you're the main fighter!"
Sakura laughed, retreating alongside Gamaken, who leaped from the water, to Jiraiya's side.
They positioned themselves to guard Jiraiya, who was charging up for Sage Mode, from any sudden attacks.
"Listen, Teacher Jiraiya!"
Sakura lowered her voice, relaying intel to him.
"This guy controls six bodies, each with different abilities. Be careful—they share the same vision!"
!!!
Jiraiya and the Human Path, gathering intel from above, both widened their eyes.
"Shut up, kid!"
The Animal Path roared, biting his finger and slamming his hand to the ground.
A massive cloud of smoke erupted, and a colossal shadow burst forth—a winged, three-headed dog charging at Sakura.
"Teacher Jiraiya, watch out for those summoned beasts too!"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up, brat?!"
In the raging storm, the snarling beast bared its savage fangs, lunging forward.
BOOM!
Sakura's figure, along with the building in front of her, was shredded in the ferocious attack, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Sakura!"
Jiraiya's pupils contracted.
But through the dust, Sakura's hands gripped the three-headed dog's upper and lower jaws.
It looked like a futile struggle, yet she was holding it back.
"Their vision is linked too—be careful!"
Sakura's gaze slowly turned to Jiraiya, giving him a playful wink.
"This kid!"
The Animal Path, standing atop the three-headed dog, paled. Forming seals to summon more beasts, he was suddenly rocked by an impact, stumbling and falling onto the dog's head.
Looking down, he saw the girl gripping the beast's jaws, her body boiling with energy.
An unstoppable, roaring force seemed to surge within her.
The three-headed dog whimpered, cracked, and with Sakura's wrenching pull, it was torn in half, blood and guts splattering the ground.
"Boil Release: Unmatched Strength!!!"